Last-Minute Family Road Trips

You are taking a road trip at the last minute, but you haven't a clue where to go, what to see, or how to survive a road trip with your family. Before you pack up and start driving, consider these last minute road trip ideas:

Visit a National Park
There are 391 national parks in the United States. Plan a last minute road trip to visit one or multiple parks. For instance, spend less time on the road and more time hiking the Grand Canyon or beholding Old Faithful with your family. If your family enjoys the time on the road as much as the destination, plan a road trip encompassing multiple nearby national parks, such as the Redwood National Park and Crater Lake National Park, both along the Oregon Coast.

Keep kids occupied on the road trip with spiral notebooks and colored pencils or crayons. They can draw pictures, take notes, and collect items like fallen leaves to keep with their travel journals. Pack snacks with a hiking theme, such as jerky, trail mix and dried fruits.

Choose a Historical Site
Bring history to life with a last minute road trip to a historical site. Choose a destination linked to your ancestors or perhaps a site your child has recently studied in school. Pick up a book on the subject and read it with your family during the road trip to help you decide what to see when you get there. Visit local museums and take a guided tour, which will make the trip even more interesting and informative.

Keep the historical theme with snacks like "cabin logs" (pretzel rods) or "Pilgrim's corn" (popped popcorn). Entertain kids with a digital scavenger hunt along the way. Give them each a digital camera to use (a cell phone camera works fine) and a list of items for which to hunt. The first take a picture of each item wins.

Splurge! Head to an Amusement Park
There are hundreds of amusement parks in the U.S. Chances are, there are several just a short road trip away. Pick one of the lesser-known parks to avoid massive lines and high prices, and enjoy visiting new locations along the way. Make a mix CD alternating songs your kids enjoy with some more parent-friendly options so that everyone will be happy. Along the way, play "Name the Song" by pressing the scan button on the car radio. The first person who can sing along with the song the radio lands on is the winner.

Literary-Themed Trip
Consider a literary last minute road trip with your family. Visit the hometown of the author of your child's favorite book or series and see the home in which the writer grew up or penned the books. On the other hand, your family may want to visit the location in which the stories took place.

Bring along the books on tape or CD to set the tone for the road trip. Make up your own stories by looking at other travelers on the road and telling fun, exciting tales about their travels or their lives.